Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Many times, I didn't have the time to make bread and let it rise, etc. Since necessity is the "mother of invention", I had to come up with some other ideas. If you want to review my favorite muffins click HERE.

So here are my favorite quick biscuits!

SUPREME BISCUITS (from Better Homes & Garden cookbook)

2 cups sifted flour (if youdon't want to sift it, remove 2 T.)

4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t cream of tartar

2 t. sugar

1/2 c. shortening or butter

2/3 c. milk

Sift or mix the dry ingredients together using a whisk. Cut the shortening or butter in. (I use the hand mixer to do it quickly). When it looks evenly crumbly, add milk all at once and mix with a fork until it is evenly moist and you can push it into a ball that will hold together loosely. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it just enough to make it hold shape a little better. DO NOT OVER KNEAD!!

Roll it out to about an inch thick and cut the biscuits. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Makes about 12 average size biscuits. I usually use a larger cutter, even have used a tuna can if I think we might use some of them to make sandwiches later.

BUTTERMILK SUPREME BISCUITS

To use buttermilk, add 1/4 t. baking soda to dry ingredients. Use same amount of buttermilk or soured milk. If you are going to sour milk with lemon juice or vinegar, add the souring agent first thing, stir and set aside for it to sour while you do the rest of the recipe. It will make a bigger difference.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS (like Red Lobster's!)

Mix 1/2 c. finely grated cheddar cheese with the dry ingredients.

Half way through the baking, brush with melted garlic butter. When you take them out, brush them once again with the garlic butter. To make the garlic butter, mix 1/3 c. melted butter with 1/2 t. garlic powder. This will make it fairly mild flavored. Some recipes call for 2 - 4 cloves of garlic, which would ward off cold germs for a day or two . . . maybe even vampires or amorous husbands ;>}

MAKE-A-MIX

10 C. Flour

3/4 C. + 1 1/2 T. Baking Powder

5 t. Salt

5 t. Cream of Tartar

3 1/2 T. Sugar

5 C. Butter or Shortening

Sift all dry ingredients or mix with a whisk. Cut butter or shortening in until you have a consistency like the picture "4".

1. This is what I use to make my favorite Buttermilk Biscuits. I don't use shortening because it is usually made of soy, my grandson can't have that. It is a great excuse, since I like butter better anyway . . . If I don't have buttermilk, I just sour some milk with some vinegar or lemon juice. (ha! a rare occasion in this house!) 2. This is the kitchen stuff that I use. The table cloth is in this picture to remind us that a little love goes a long way in making something special for our families. It was embroidered and edged by my paternal grandmother. I had it my room for years on a little card table made by my uncle Both were made with love by some of my favorite people.

3. Tools I have used to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients. As I grew up, my mom would use two bread & butter knives to cut the shortening into the dry ingredients by holding them towards each other and cutting away from each other. If I can, I will do a video demonstrating this, my explanation doesn't make much sense. It has saved me when camping or at someone else's house. The funny thing is that she had a pastry cutter in the drawer and didn't think it was worth the bother. while in college, a roommate showed me what they were for! Marriage, a family and way too many demands on my time brought the use of the electric mixer. It is so nice to get it done so quickly. My one problem is to stop on time. I tend to mix it too long and cutting the butter or shortening in too much and the texture is to fine. 4. This is about the way you want it too look. This is also how it should look when making pie crust. The larger pieces are what will "pop" in the baking and make it nice and flaky.

5. The directions always say to mix with a fork. I am not sure why, but it does make a difference. When I have used a spoon, it isn't as fluffy when I get done mixing. 6. When you get through mixing the liquid in, it should look like this. You don't want it to be very smooth. 7. It should be just moist enough to gather up into a loose ball in the bowl.

8. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and press it into a ball. This is where most recipes say to knead gently up to 10 times. That will give you a prettier biscuit that will hold together for making sandwiches later, but not as light and flaky. This is what I do if I will be baking them on top of shepherd's pie or chicken pot pie. 9. As a side bread, I just press it into a ball that holds together better. 10. Now it is time to roll them out. That is the way to give you a smoother texture and appearance. I just press it out with my hands to the right thickness, 3/4 to one inch.

11 & 12. After pushing the dough out, I scrunch the edges back in to make sure all of the dough is the same thickness. 13. I use the biggest cutter that I could find in the stores, but actually prefer a tuna can so that they are big enough to make sandwiches later!

(Lost picture 11 and 13, just takes talent!!) Sorry, I am not starting over getting those two pics back . . . yo all have imaginations, have to use them?!?!?

I try to take my biscuits out when they are just lightly browned so

that they can be reheated without drying out.

I learned years ago that the prettiest pastries and biscuits were

not always the flakiest. These biscuits proved the theory. They

were so flaky, even when reheated the next day. Made me wish I had some garlic butter ready and I could have made a terrific treat for dinner that night.

I just found this site with quite a few recipes using the Wonder Box. Enjoy it HERE.

Now that we are only hitting temperatures in the high 80's, I haven't been as motivated to use it, but will probably for Thanksgiving, it could make a good second oven for something that needs to cook slowly . . . like maybe the green bean casserole ?!?!?

THEN I found this site that has recipes like we would be more familiar with!! Check it our HERE. This is using quite a fancy doo-dad of a thermal cooker, pretty sleek gadget, but it would also work with my gizmo made from styrofoam beads and old sheet.

About Me

For over fifty years, I have seemed to spend a lot of my time in the kitchen. First, it was the usual “helping Mommy” whether it was everyday meals or canning. Mom wasn’t really into cooking, so I had to create my own kitchen adventures. As the years went by, I enjoyed it more and more. Fortunately, my family have been pretty good sports about my experiments!
Canning fruit in Utah led to huge gardens as a wife and mother, canning meat when it was too good of a price to pass up . . . Oops! No freezer . . . DUH! Finding that these activities have blessed my family repeatedly led me to this point.
Life experiences, working in a church cannery for three years and serving as cannery specialist two times have brought me to the point of sharing what I have learned. The most important lesson being, keep an open mind and always be ready to learn from others. Be sure to check out the links I have in the side bar of the blog!!!